Promoting Cycling With Math And Science

sometimes you have to get people to accept something emotionally, and sometimes you beat them about the head and neck with cold hard facts till they suffer greatly and give up. This is that kind of book.

In their new book, John Pucher and Ralph Buehler come right out and state their belief in plain English: “Cycling should be made feasible, convenient, and safe for everyone.” The editors of City Cycling, just published by MIT Press, aim to further that cause by gathering together as much data as they could find to support their case that “it is hard to beat cycling when it comes to environmental, economic, and social sustainability.”(via)

Bicycling in cities is booming, for many reasons: health and environmental benefits, time and cost savings, more and better bike lanes and paths, innovative bike sharing programs, and the sheer fun of riding. City Cycling offers a guide to this urban cycling renaissance, with the goal of promoting cycling as sustainable urban transportation available to everyone. It reports on cycling trends and policies in cities in North America, Europe, and Australia, and offers information on such topics as cycling safety, cycling infrastructure provisions including bikeways and bike parking, the wide range of bike designs and bike equipment, integration of cycling with public transportation, and promoting cycling for women and children.

City Cycling emphasizes that bicycling should not be limited to those who are highly trained, extremely fit, and daring enough to battle traffic on busy roads. The chapters describe ways to make city cycling feasible, convenient, and safe for commutes to work and school, shopping trips, visits, and other daily transportation needs. The book also offers detailed examinations and illustrations of cycling conditions in different urban environments: small cities (including Davis, California, and Delft, the Netherlands), large cities (including Sydney, Chicago, Toronto and Berlin), and “megacities” (London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo). These chapters offer a closer look at how cities both with and without historical cycling cultures have developed cycling programs over time. The book makes clear that successful promotion of city cycling depends on coordinating infrastructure, programs, and government policies.(via)

Seems like an interesting read.

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BostonBiker.org Summer Story Contest

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Read how you can win prizes below!

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The Lost Cyclist Book Event

Got this in the email, looks like a good time for you that like the reading about bikes.

————

I’m the Boston-based author of Bicycle: The History (Yale University Press). This summer, I have a new book coming out called The Lost Cyclist. It’s about Frank Lenz, a young man who left his home in PIttsburgh in the spring of 1892 to cycle around the world on a new-fangled “pneumatic safety” (the prototype of the modern bicycle), only to disappear mysteriously in Turkey two years into his epic journey. It’s already getting great reviews.

On June 24, 6 pm, I’m giving a presentation and book signing at the Boston Public Library as part of their spring author series. I’m working on getting a free bike valet parking service set up for the event. I will give a digital slideshow of photographs Lenz took before his world tour (on an old-fashioned “high-wheeler”) and during (crossing the US, Japan, China, Burma, India, and Persia).

Regards,
David

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Metro Pedal Power Now With Books

Our buddies over at Metro Ped. (Holla!) just scored a sweet deal with Harvard books to truck books around.

Next time you want a good read but don’t feel like venturing into the cold, Harvard Book Store will deliver right to your door—by bicycle.

The bookstore’s new green delivery service that started last week offers faster delivery than regular shipping, said Heather Gain, marketing manager at the store. Harvard Book Store guarantees next-day delivery to Cambridge residents in seven zip codes and one-to-three-day delivery to Boston, although deliveries might be even faster, she said.

The bicycle service is provided by Somerville-based Metro Pedal Power, a local business that delivers agricultural products, Gain said. Delivery rates are $5 for the first book and $1 for each additional book, not only for the green service but now for anywhere in the U.S. by traditional mail.(via)

Awesome! Way to go. So in the future you might see Dan pull up to your place with a bike full of books, be nice to him, books are heavy.

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